8 precincts change Toledo City Council districts

New alignment reflects population shifts

5/18/2011
BY TOM TROY
BLADE POLITICS WRITER

Eight Toledo voting precincts will change council districts to bring Toledo's six City Council districts into approximately equal population size.

The new boundaries, approved by the City Council apportionment board, were accepted by the Lucas County Board of Elections and were being incorporated into election maps, Marty Limmer, board of elections information services manager, said Tuesday.

Among the changes was the shift of precinct 17C, an Old South End precinct near downtown with 807 residents, to District 3 from District 4. The precinct had the lowest turnout in the special election May 3 to fill a vacancy in the District 4 council seat, when only one person voted a regular ballot. The election was won by Democrat Paula Hicks-Hudson.

Voters in that precinct, which includes the SS. Peter & Paul Church historic district, will be part of District 3, represented by Democrat Mike Craig. Mr. Craig has said the precinct is a better fit with his district than it was with District 4 because it is part of the South End, which is in his district.

Other precincts that shifted are:

  • Precincts 4A, 4C, and 4D, in the northern half of the Lagrange Street neighborhood, with 3,943 residents, moved from District 6, represented by Democrat Lindsay Webb, to District 4.
  • Precincts 15C and 15F, comprising the Burroughs School neighborhood and containing 3,231 residents, moved from District 2, represented by independent D. Michael Collins, to District 3.
  • Precinct 1E, an area that includes Manhattan Boulevard and the Ratteree Boulevard Terrace subdivision, with 1,266 residents, moved from District 4 to District 6.
  • Precinct 23D, a residential area between Douglas and Tremainsville roads north of Laskey Road, with 1,348 residents, moved from District 5, represented by Republican Tom Waniewski, to District 6.

The final plan leaves District 1, represented by Democrat Wilma Brown, unchanged.

The reapportionment was required by the city charter to correct for population losses, primarily in Districts 3 and 4, that showed up in the 2010 Census.

Under the new map, District 2 remains the largest, with 48,908 residents, down from 52,139.

District 4 is the smallest. with 46,953 residents, up from 44,226 under the previous boundaries.